Russian court sends ex-convict back to prison for ‘falsely’ alleging that he was tortured in prison

Thirty-seven-year-old Alexey Galkin got out of prison just six months ago, but he’s headed back now, thanks to his complaint that guards tortured him. A regional court in Kirov has sentenced Galkin to two years in prison for filing a false report. He claims that he and other inmates were subjected to cruel and unusual punishments, especially after he began complaining about the mistreatment. Galkin says he suffered broken fingers, ribs, and a broken nose.

Three months after Galkin filed his allegations, state investigators opened a case against him for reporting false information. Galkin’s police report cites a specific instance in January 2016, when he was supposedly beaten for complaining about the prison’s living conditions. Galkin says the guards broke his jaw, and then coerced him into signing a document claiming that he’d slipped while using a pullup bar.

Alexey Galkin has spent 17 years — almost half his life — behind bars. After getting out of prison this January, he appealed to the human rights group “Za Prava Cheloveka” for support.